I have been the Head of International Engagement in the ICO’s International Regulatory Strategy Directorate since January 2019. A key part of this role is to ensure that the ICO operates as an effective and influential international regulator to ensure that UK data protection law and practice remains a benchmark for high global standards. Much of this work recently has focussed on issues arising out of the UK’s prospective departure from the European Union and our future relationship with the EU and its data protection institutions. However, it is increasingly important that the UK develops strategic relationships and agreements with authorities and institutions around the world, to facilitate the global free flow of personal data for businesses and law enforcement and regulatory cooperation purposes.

Before joining the ICO, I was a career civil servant working in many roles in the Ministry of Justice the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. My most recent roles there were leading the UK delegation to the EU on the negotiations on the GDPR and, subsequently, working on EU-exit related data protection issues.